Located in Europe and a member of the European Union, France is also referred to as the French Republic. Known for its many famous landmarks, structures, and monuments, France holds Versailles, Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre within its boundaries. France is the most popular tourist country in the world, with Spain and the United States following closely behind. Most people are moving to France because of lifestyle changes and either business or personal relationships. French is the national language, so anyone moving to France needs to brush up on their basic French so they can communicate with the local people.

Before you book your tickets to France. These regional guides will help you explore France. Check out a selection of tourist video guides – two videos that travel around France to give you a flavour of North, East, South, West and Central France. In addition, individual videos for each region. Research each region of France before you travel ….

The regions of France are:
Alsace region
Aquitaine region
Auvergne region
Brittany region
Burgundy region
Centre region
Champagne-Ardenne region
Franche-Comte region
Ile-de-France region
Languedoc-Roussillon region
Limousin region
Lorraine region
Lower Normandy region
Midi-Pyrenees region
Nord Pas-de-Calais region
Picardy region
Poitou-Charentes region
Provence region
Rhone-Alpes region
Upper Normandy region
Western Loire region

Reference: Moving to France

Technorati Tags: eiffel tower, france holiday, france tourism, Notre Dame de Paris

Every year more than 8.5 million people come to see the Louvre Museum in Paris, France to see the second-biggest collection of artwork in the world. To Paris, art was seen as a point of pride, a show of grandeur and a vital part of their culture. Here, one will find paintings like Da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa,” Vermeer’s “The Lacemaker,” Delacroix’s “Liberty Leading the People,” Velazquez’s “Infanta Maria Margareta” and Raphael’s “Baltasar de Castiglione.” Travelers staying in Louvre Paris hostels can walk across the way to see amazing sculptures like the “Winged Victory of Samothrace,” “Venus de Milo” and Michelangelo’s “Rebellious Slave.”

The Louvre Paris France district is a gigantic collection of enormous fortress-like buildings. As well as the palace of the French kings, La Place de la Concorde ( Concorde Square ) was the former site of the infamous guillotine and many beheadings in the French Revolution. Today, there are no murdering machines, but instead, an Obelisk given to France by Egypt from the ruins of Ramses II’s temple. Between the Louvre and Concorde Square is the Jardin des Tuileries ( the Tuileries Garden ), which is an incredible Italian style garden with fountains, caves, greenhouses and sculptures. Below the garden is Le Musee de L’Orangerie, with Renoirs, Monets, Picassos and Czannes. Also nearby, visitors can find the Vendome Square, which is the center of fine jewellery on location Paris. Clients can also examine Rivoli Street, the Faubord Saint honor Street and haute couture homes in Victories Square. Le Palais Royal ( the Royal Palace ) is awonderful piece of design surrounded by gardens, columns and colonnades. The financial district is also located in this area of France, with La Bourse du Commerce ( the Commodity Exchange ) located here. The L’englise Saint Roch Church homes a number of Jesuit art pieces, as well as the bodies of Corneille and Diderot.

Naturally, many travellers want to stay in the Louvre Paris France district, given its close proximity to a number of excellent attractions. The closest hotel is the straightforward, two-star Timhotel Le Louvre Paris hotel, which is just 253 meters from this wonderful museum. The rooms are plain, but you’ll have access to free wi-fi in your room and cable TV. Prices start at $133 / night. The Normandy Hotel is also right on the corner of the Louvre Museum. This three-star building looks rather impressive from the street and offers an equally classy, sublime interior. Beginning at $185 / night, this is one of the pleasanter three-star hotels in Paris. Found right next door is the four-star Hotel du Louvre Paris, which seems more like a palace than a hotel. Beginning at $277 / night, guests can enjoy marble baths, jacuzzi spas, plush bedding, a fitness center and nothing apart from top-quality amenities. For the wealthiest travelers, the Renaissance Paris Vendome ( $411+ / night ) and Park Hyatt Paris Vendome ( $750+ / night ) feature five-star accommodations in the area.

According to a friend of mine who runs a home business in the tourism industry guests staying at hostels in Paris regularly choose to take special tours at the Louvre Paris France. For kids and families, tours can be taken based totally on the following themes. 90 minute guided tours for kids and families explore the following topics: “Histories and Legends”, “Two by Two” ( kids participate in a museum workshop, while folks choose a theme for a tour), “The Medieval Louvre” ( tour of the remains of the medieval fortress ), or “Discovery Trail” ( public galleries and hidden secrets ). People can take hour-and-a-half guided tours of the complete museum or 90-minute journeys thru the masterpieces, the design and the history behind the Louvre. There are also special tours for groups, children and disabled visitors to prompt the appreciation of art by all.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Apple Store Carrousel du Louvre opens today (tuaw.com)

Technorati Tags: louvre

Interesting Things About France

Introducing France Video:

Beaches, skiing on the Alps, and vineyards are just a sample of what groups of people are attracted from this country. France is a country which draws more tourists than any other country. It is easy to see why this is the case given France’s great reputation for fine wines, good food, high fashion and relaxed lifestyle. In order to fully experience the fine wines and cuisine, booking a self catering holiday is highly recommended so that you have the freedom to do so. But while a city like Biarritz France (in the Aquitaine region) is undoubtedly a place to eat and drink till your heart is content, there’s much more to this fascinating country than only cutting-edge cuisines. Spring is the best time to be here, and those interested in winter sports can drop at the Alps and Pyrenees with some polar gear. The summers are very hot and winters are moderate. An all-weather coat and pair of comfortable shoes are a must. Women, especially, should carry cocktail dresses as some of the restaurants ask for it. When visiting any religious site, refrain from wearing sleeveless shirt and shorts, as they are disliked at such places.

Culture
English is widely spoken here, although French is the official language. Handshaking is customary greeting and women should be kissed on both cheeks and should be addressed as Monsieur or Madame. French people are popularly known for their like for stylish sportswear and can’t forget the perfumes. Nudism is allowed on some beaches only. Social functions, fine restaurants, and clubs call for more formal dressing. When at a formal dinner, wait till the host gestures to start the dinner. Smoking is banned in public places.

Site Seeing
Paris, the city of love, is a massive city with many attractions in reachable distance thanks to the highly efficient public transport system. It boasts of more than 80 museums and 200 arts galleries. A trip to Disney land and the magnificent Eiffel tower will make the trip worthwhile.

The attractive tourists spots are the Arc de triomphe which spans over the tomb of an unknown soldier, the forbidding gothic architecture of the Notre Dame cathedral, the picturesque Sacre Coeur, to Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, the Moulin Rouge and boat tours along the Seine. Get the Carte Musees-Monuments pass, which gives access to 70 monuments and museums.

Shopping
Although service tax is included in the bill, a humble tip won’t cost much. Another dollar may be given to the server as a tip. Bus drivers can be given a $2 tip.

Electricity
220-volt, 50-cycle AC current.

Getting There
The national airline that operates here is Air France. Airlines that are inexpensive provide services from within the UK. Paris-Charles de Gaulle also known as Roissy-Charles de Gaulle is the major airport of France, which is 23km away from the city. The airport provides services such as, taxis, limos, and coaches. The railway facility provided by the airport, claims to reach all the terminals within eight minutes. These trains run 24 hours. The other airports that offer flight services are Paris-Orly, Marseille, Bordeaux, Nice, Lyon and Toulouse.

Ports such as Havre, Atlantic, Mediterranean, and North Sea, are known for their building of cruise ships.

Duty Free Items (Non-EU citizens)
1. 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 100 cigarillos or 250g of tobacco
2. 1liter of spirits over 22 per cent or 2liter of alcoholic beverage up to 22 per cent
3. 2liter of wine
4. 250ml of eau de toilette and 50g of perfume
5. 500g of coffee or 200g of coffee extract
6. 100g of tea or 40g of tea extract

Technorati Tags: Biarritz France, Fun Facts About France, Fun Facts of France, Interesting Things About France

France is a great place to have a vacation. The food is great, the wine is superb and there is lots to see and do. Even the rude waiters provide something different to what you find at home. Everybody knows that Paris a great place to spend part of your vacation but where else in France should you go?

How about spending a couple of days in the city the French themselves think is the capital for food? How about staying on the edge of two different wine regions, with a chance to make comparisons between the two at amazing prices? How about being in an ancient Roman city with its own theater and with fabulous mosaics? How about wandering down narrow passages between houses, designed originally to get the bales of silk down to the river protected from the climate? How about having two of Europe’s great rivers joining together within the city? How about seeing some great paintings and sculpture without being surrounded by hordes of other vacationers? How about a short trip to the Alps?

Getting to Lyon

You can reach Lyon easily from Paris by the world-famous fast train, the TGV. You can travel across a major part of France in just two hours, in great comfort. In fact, some Parisians take their business colleagues down to Lyon by train just to have lunch. Lyon is considered the gastronomic center of France with the highest concentration of Michelin three star restaurants in the world. Many of the young cooks at these great restaurants leave to open their own restaurants, serving great food at modest prices. You are sure to find exceptional food at reasonable prices in Lyon.

I don’t know why Lyon is not included in more vacation plans. It’s a great city for tourists and a perfect stop on your vacation trip on the way from Paris to the sophisticated beach life of the South of France. For your next vacation in France, spend a few days in Lyon.

More Info:
Vacation Rentals near Lyon
Regional Guides

Technorati Tags: france, france holiday, french holiday, gastronomy, lyon, rhone, visit france

You can’t afford a luxury trip to Paris? Well think again, here are some ideas about how to get a 5 star vacation at a three star price.

The single most important thing for a cost-effective vacation is pick you time. Times to avoid in Paris: Christmas, September/October when there are large trade shows. If you want the best hotels that Paris offers: check rates at weekends or inthe summer holidays, August, you might just get a deal.

Try to time your departure so that you leave late at night having had a full day in Paris: your hotel will hold your luggage even if you have to check out in the morning. You have now got an extra day in Paris, and no hotel bill! Sleep on the plane its the best thing to do on them.

Don’t go alone: preferably take a couple of friends and share a room: you will normally pay the same for two adults as one and the third person is much less than half the tarrif for two.

Don’t hire a car . You do not need a car in Paris; the central city is compact and walkable and the Metro will get you around faster than a taxi in rush hour. If you are hiring an auto for the remainder of your vacation, arrange it so that your hire period begins as you say au revoir to Paris.

On-line travel sites are great for finding and coparing the best hotel rates. Don’t just book with the first site you find though. Try five or six especially if you are looking for smaller, boutique hotels. Not all travel websites list all hotels.

Beware that a lot of museums and art galleries are shut one day a week: normally Monday or Tuesday. If you are in town for those two days then double check which days your “must see” sites are open to avoid disappointment.

Don’t use taxis to hop around town: use the Metro for longer trips or walk: Paris is one of the most walkable cities in the world and most of the major sights and shopping areas are within easy walking distance.

A new development in inner city transport is the Vélib program (“vélo Liberté” or Freedom Bikes) by which it is possible to rent a bike for a very modest price. The first 30 minutes is free (plus a Euro1 daily fee payable by credit card) and prices rise raipidly for longer rental: designed to encourage you to drop off the bike and pick up a new one as you require: what a great reason to stop at cafe or two…

Paris is a wonderful city and who doesn’t want to see the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the Musse d’Orsay, Notre Dame Church. Make sure you make the effort to make it to top stared restaraunt at least once on your visit.

Choose a Paris Luxury Hotel for your next European vacation and really see a different side of that wonderful city. A central Paris hotel will help you spend most of your time in the city of romance not commuting from a remote suburb. Selecting the best Parisian hotel can make or break your vacation.

Technorati Tags: central Paris hotel, cheap Paris hotel, discount Paris hotel, last minute Paris hotel, luxury Paris hotel, Paris apartment